"Informed Decisions" is a monumental effort by The American Cancer Society designed to further educate the public
about cancer diagnosis and treatment. The book contains a wealth of information
for the cancer patient. The purpose of this publication is to present all the
information that is needed to make critical choices and simplify the decision
making process with respect to a cancer diagnosis.

The book is well organized into seven separate sections. The first
six sections deal with issues that all cancer patients may face, regardless
of their diagnosis. The final section is dedicated to specific cancers
and details screening modalities, risk factors, signs and symptoms,
diagnostic and staging tests, treatment options, survival statistics, and
questions to ask your physician. The book also includes a directory of
resources, divided by topic, with addresses and phone numbers. There is
also a directory of cancer information online.

The book is very well designed and may be read cover to cover or
utilized as a reference for both the patient and the health care provider.
There are excellent chapters on ACS screening recommendations, self
examinations, food and nutrition, diagnostic tests, and cancer causes and
risks. There is also an informative chapter on alternative and
complementary therapies which includes American Cancer Society
recommendations regarding some of the most popular techniques.

Almost every aspect of cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and
complications are included in this book. There are concise, easy to
understand, recommendations on the day to day problems that the cancer
patient may face. It is a superior reference for the cancer patient and
has OncoLink's highest recommendation.

Jun 1, 2010 - Genetic information that does not clarify decision making about cancer treatment may not be desired, and its impact differs depending on clinical relevance to the recipient, according to research published online May 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.